MATCHWATCH : Millwall (a)

[Zammo]

One thing that has struck me with Kelvin E is that, although he lacks a bit of finesse at times, he does seem to read the game well and gets into good positions. Having said that, his finish for the 1st last night was more difficult than it looked and showed decent composure.

I thought that on Saturday (Kelvin's performance). But you get home and read social media and you think to yourself, must've got that wrong then. It's honestly frightening how many fans cannot read the game.

[Snowflake Royal]

Would these guys have been given opportunities in the Championship?

I know it's a long LONG way off, but by season's end we COULD have a squad with a bunch of ex-academy players with a combined £50m+ value.

The potential to achieve that has been there before, but we've blown it by not playing them, allowing other clubs to eventually reap the benefits of what should have been ours. 1 or 2 dodgy games and we decide they aren't ready and consign them to the back-burner. (Management and fans that is.) What they actually need is time and faith.

(But, yes, I'm jumping the whole arsenal there.)

Well Camara, Kelvin, Craig, Abbey and Azeez were all involved in the Championship last season. Nowhere near enough of course.

[Royal_jimmy]

It's been years since we've seen a Reading team play with this much energy, I saw it on Saturday, albeit as someone else mentioned we didn't execute it that well because of a lack of pre-season for the incomers but could see what we were trying to do. I can see why Selles likes this style of play as he has a fitness coach background, we'll see some stronger fitter players this season hopefully.

I'll be disappointed but not surprised if 5-6 of them are relegated to the bench for Saturday. Can't expect them to sustain that Saturday/Tuesday.

If we end up midtable this season but play with the energy and excitement with a young side with plenty of growth to come then I'll take that. We'll hammer some teams but we'll see some poor results. No idea what contracts some of the youngsters like Abbey, CBC, Craig, Kelvin E and Vickers are on but we should get them tied down to a longer deal now we're no longer under an embargo!

Oh and we finally won a midweek away game at a team not beginning with B

[Sutekh]

One thing that has struck me with Kelvin E is that, although he lacks a bit of finesse at times, he does seem to read the game well and gets into good positions. Having said that, his finish for the 1st last night was more difficult than it looked and showed decent composure.

I thought that on Saturday (Kelvin's performance). But you get home and read social media and you think to yourself, must've got that wrong then. It's honestly frightening how many fans cannot read the game.

He looked decent Saturday but his composure in front of goal was lacking a little which probably clouded a lot of opinions of him. The guy is young so you're going to get inconsistent performances with him looking superb one minute and seemingly having a 'mare next time out. The better he is the more of the former you'll get quicker and to be honest he's looked to me as being capable at a professional level.

He's deceptive and one of those bigger blokes who's got the skill to hurt defenders (a bit of Blakey in some respects) he needs to hone his end product a bit more but reckon he could have a decent career in the higher levels of the league. Of course if he plays in a team that actually helps strikers by creating opportunities and playing to their strengths then it'll be all the easier, hoping that team might be Reading one day.

[Sutekh]

Would these guys have been given opportunities in the Championship?

I know it's a long LONG way off, but by season's end we COULD have a squad with a bunch of ex-academy players with a combined £50m+ value.

The potential to achieve that has been there before, but we've blown it by not playing them, allowing other clubs to eventually reap the benefits of what should have been ours. 1 or 2 dodgy games and we decide they aren't ready and consign them to the back-burner. (Management and fans that is.) What they actually need is time and faith.

(But, yes, I'm jumping the whole arsenal there.)

Well Camara, Kelvin, Craig, Abbey and Azeez were all involved in the Championship last season. Nowhere near enough of course.

This. Ince really was working far to closely to that old Alan Hansen "mantra" last season.

[Sutekh]

It's been years since we've seen a Reading team play with this much energy, I saw it on Saturday, albeit as someone else mentioned we didn't execute it that well because of a lack of pre-season for the incomers but could see what we were trying to do. I can see why Selles likes this style of play as he has a fitness coach background, we'll see some stronger fitter players this season hopefully.

I'll be disappointed but not surprised if 5-6 of them are relegated to the bench for Saturday. Can't expect them to sustain that Saturday/Tuesday.

If we end up midtable this season but play with the energy and excitement with a young side with plenty of growth to come then I'll take that. We'll hammer some teams but we'll see some poor results. No idea what contracts some of the youngsters like Abbey, CBC, Craig, Kelvin E and Vickers are on but we should get them tied down to a longer deal now we're no longer under an embargo!

Oh and we finally won a midweek away game at a team not beginning with B

That stat applies to league games only though, the first test of it arrives when visiting Northampton in October.

[URZZZZ]

DD's very quiet for a change. Oh and Millsy

Because I have a life and friends and don't constantly have to come on here to talk 24/7

But you're here 24/7 ruining the board, oxf*rd off to AE and have another made up breakdown.
Clown

Don’t feed the troll

[URZZZZ]

Just seen the highlights, loving the press, where the oxf*rd was that on Saturday?

The first 20 mins.

This formation and style will always do better with younger, fitter players with an extra something to play for too. Going a goal ahead is crucial for moral too tbh, a lot easier to chase lost causes and hassle and close down when you’re winning.

Agreed

All about taking your chances when they come too. Ehib missed a fairly similar chance on Saturday to the first he scored last night. Score that and reckon we’d have won fairly comfortable on Saturday. Confidence and morale goes a long way

[Zammo]

It's a great feeling innit. Actually buzzing today. This club

[Sutekh]

Just seen the highlights, loving the press, where the oxf*rd was that on Saturday?

The first 20 mins.

This formation and style will always do better with younger, fitter players with an extra something to play for too. Going a goal ahead is crucial for moral too tbh, a lot easier to chase lost causes and hassle and close down when you’re winning.

Agreed

All about taking your chances when they come too. Ehib missed a fairly similar chance on Saturday to the first he scored last night. Score that and reckon we’d have won fairly comfortable on Saturday. Confidence and morale goes a long way

Yes, but finally there's a lot of positives to build with on the training ground this week and it was the best possible result (going away to a championship side, which played a very very strong team, and utterly spanking them), shows to players that Selles has a clue and they can really take on board and buy into what he's telling them. Once players are doing that then it's half the next game won - it's how the more cynical older players react, if they don't step up then (as has been said) they can now be replaced.

[Sutekh]

It's a great feeling innit. Actually buzzing today. This club

Was going to say, what's this funny feeling I've got at the moment, is this what confidence might feel like?

[rabidbee]

I almost subjected a village in Gloucestershire to the sight of a fat, middle-aged man in hoops today.

[Loafer]

Because I have a life and friends and don't constantly have to come on here to talk 24/7

But you're here 24/7 ruining the board, oxf*rd off to AE and have another made up breakdown.
Clown

Don’t feed the troll

so having a different opinion = being a troll
forgot that everybody in life has to be boring with everything and agree with each other like sheep in the echo chamber

[savage 4 england]

Big up our academy. Agree with those warning of caution, but at least 5 or 6 from tonight need to start. Carroll is not suited to Selles ball. Bench. Time to break up Tmac and Holmes. NGW hasn't done enough to justify keeping his spot. Yiadom probably stays, but these guys deserve a chance to show what they can do in the league.

Agree on the Carroll point.

[LUX]

But you're here 24/7 ruining the board, oxf*rd off to AE and have another made up breakdown.
Clown

Don’t feed the troll

so having a different opinion = being a troll
forgot that everybody in life has to be boring with everything and agree with each other like sheep in the echo chamber

Loafer>>>>>>>>>>"I shat the bed" 72 Bus

[Hound]

Would these guys have been given opportunities in the Championship?

I know it's a long LONG way off, but by season's end we COULD have a squad with a bunch of ex-academy players with a combined £50m+ value.

The potential to achieve that has been there before, but we've blown it by not playing them, allowing other clubs to eventually reap the benefits of what should have been ours. 1 or 2 dodgy games and we decide they aren't ready and consign them to the back-burner. (Management and fans that is.) What they actually need is time and faith.

(But, yes, I'm jumping the whole arsenal there.)

Well Camara, Kelvin, Craig, Abbey and Azeez were all involved in the Championship last season. Nowhere near enough of course.

This. Ince really was working far to closely to that old Alan Hansen "mantra" last season.

Sadly it wasn’t just Ince. Most disappointing non selection of the year for me was when Hunt dropped Camara totally after a poor 45

Camara who was whoscored motm, scored, big part in the second goal, and assisted Vickers missed chance which he should have scored last night

Give them a run, give them confidence and they’ll be fine

[Snowflake Royal]

Don’t feed the troll

so having a different opinion = being a troll
forgot that everybody in life has to be boring with everything and agree with each other like sheep in the echo chamber

Loafer>>>>>>>>>>"I shat the bed" 72 Bus

Syphilis or gonorrhoea really though.

[South Coast Royal]

Was that the youngest side ever put out by Reading for a competitive first team game?
Fantastic result and what a lift for the players, managers and fans, especially the fans who have had to put up with dross for these past few years.

I suspect from reading posts on here that fans now , after last night's result, feel that a good run in any cup competition does wonders for the morale rather than "these games don't matter".
No doubt a goal in the first minute was a help but it is the size of the win with no goals conceded that is hardly believable.

I wonder what Selles' team selection will be on Saturday with Mbengue and Knibbs both probably unavailable-quite a dilemma I would imagine.

[tidus_mi2]

I hope the youngsters can kick on, numerous examples of fallen clubs who revive with a young, energised squad that go on to have a prolonged Premier League stay.

I shouldn't get carried away on the back of one impressive performance.

[Chameleon]

From the little I've seen of Hunt's U21s they also play with a big press - this was an extremely good result but it does show the benefits of the first team playing in a very similar style to the youth team; you're not asking them to play against much harder opposition and totally change styles, just the former. While Selles may still not last the season it shows the benefits of Bowen - having a DoF who recruits players and managers for a particular type of play is just a vast improvement on the past 5 years of bringing in a new manager with an incompatible style which just stunts youth team players from being able to take chances, and leaves us with a few players who just wouldn't be good under the new manager.

Outside of Carroll we have a squad all perfect for playing a high press, and Carroll's still a very good L1 striker, is decent at pressing and is quite a problem for defenders when the ball is crossed in.